Passings: David Cassidy (1950 - 2017)

David Cassidy, the actor and singer who first broke onto the scene in the television show The Partridge Family and became a teen heartthrob and major hitmaker, has died after going through multiple organ failure. He was 67.

Cassidy's publicist, JoAnn Geffen, released the following statement:

On behalf of the entire Cassidy family, it is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, our uncle, and our dear brother, David Cassidy. David died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long. Thank you for the abundance and support you have shown him these many years.

Cassidy was born in New York to actor Jack Cassidy and actress Evelyn Ward. Because of their vocation, he was raised during his early years by his maternal grandparents in suburban New Jersey.

David's father and mother divorced, without telling David for over two years, and Jack married actress Shirley Jones when David was 6.

After graduating high school, David looked for work as both an actor and musician. In 1969, he signed with Universal Studios and made his Broadway debut in the show The Fig Leaves Are Falling. The short run of the show exposed him to talent agents who had him audition on the west coast, leading to guest spots on shows like Adam-12 and Ironside.

The next year, he won the role of Keith Partridge in The Partridge Family, starring opposite his step mother Shirley Jones. Cassidy convinced the show's music director that he was, indeed, good enough to do his actual singing and, just shortly before the shows premier in the Fall of 1970, "I Think I Love You" was released. Only Cassidy and Jones from the show's cast actually performed on the song with the rest of the group made up of members of the famed Wrecking Crew.

"I Think I Love You" topped the Billboard Hot 100 and was followed by two more top tens, "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted" (1971 / #6) and "I'll Meet You Halfway" (1971 / #9) along with four more top 40 hits.

Cassidy also capitalized on the show's success by cutting a number of solo singles and albums that gave him four more top forty hits including a cover of the Association's "Cherish" (1971 / #9) and the Rascals' "How Can I Be Sure" (1972 / #25).

David also played live to sold out theaters and stadiums around the world, including a tragic incident on May 25, 1974 at White City Stadium in London where a crush at the front of the stadium led to 800 people being injured and one teenager killed.

Cassidy made the decision to stop touring and concentrated on songwriting and recording. He topped the U.K. charts in 1973 with "Daydreamer" and, in 1975, had the first hit with Bruce Johnston's "I Write the Songs", going to number 11 in Britain.

Late in the decade, he returned to acting with guest spots on Police Story and his own series David Cassidy: Man Undercover which lasted for one season.

While his days as a hit recording artist in the U.S. were over, he continued to have success overseas including a number 6 record in the U.K. in 1985 with "The Last Kiss". He also wrote the song "Prayin' For a Miracle" which was on Asia's album Then and Now.

For the next two decades, David moved between recording, acting, TV hosting (8-Track Flashback) and performing.

In 2008, Cassidy admitted he had an alcohol problem which led to a number of legal problems including multiple DUI arrests along with a 2015 accident in Florida where he was charged with leaving the scene of an accident.

Earlier this year, David announced that he was suffering from dementia and was planning on retiring from touring at the end of 2017.

Cassidy is survived by his step-mother, half-brothers Shaun, Patrick and Ryan, daughter Katie and son Beau.